Taxi Driver Online

Carlisle taxi drivers threaten to quit after train chaos

https://www.newsandstar.co.uk/news/1770 ... ain-chaos/


Glasgow cabs at Carlisle Station (Image: News & Star)

TWO taxi drivers have said they will never drive in Carlisle again after hundreds of fares were taken on by Scottish taxi firms after a fallen tree cancelled trains between Carlisle and Lockerbie.

Passengers were left stranded for hours at Carlisle train station, as they waited for replacement buses and taxis to take them north.

Michael Docherty, 50, described his experience. He said: “Basically what I have seen is a lot of my lads went to different places this morning at 10.30am, but then it was like they didn’t need us anymore. Glasgow came in and they didn’t need us anymore. Some of my drivers are very disappointed, two are going to leave. We have asked for something to happen. It is wrong. It makes us feel like we are not being looked after by licensing."

A spokeswoman from Carlisle Taxi Association said: “Everybody feels they should get a job, but that is not how it works. If there is a problem on the line Virgin will contact whoever will supply the most drivers, they wouldn’t be able to get that from Carlisle.

“Virgin has contacted taxi companies to do that job, if our taxi drivers worked for a big Carlisle company they would have contacted them. They have decided not to do that. I can’t see why people complain about it.”

She added: “I would like to have it in Carlisle, but they haven’t chosen that.”

A statement from Virgin Trains said: “Unfortunately due to the disruption today when the West Coast Main Line was closedwe had to use replacement bus services and some taxis to transport people between Glasgow and Carlisle. We’re sorry this wasn’t the best journey but have tried to do everything we can to help people complete their journeys.”

A statement from Carlisle City Council said: “We are aware of the concerns and have spoken to officials at the railway station. They have arranged replacement transportation for the affected customers. This has included pre-booked and pre-paid taxi rides with operators from outside Carlisle. The vehicles are picking up on railway station-owned land and although we appreciate the frustration this has caused, they are not contravening any licensing laws."


Carlisle drivers at the station rank (Image: News & Star)

Pathetic

and after this I think they will find the train company likes them even less

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

marshall at carlisle station told us the carlisle cabs had an account with the train company but WOULDNT cover the work,so they can hardly start bleating when they get overlooked in a situation like this

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i started out with nothing and ive still got most of it left

Wouldn't or couldn't? The HCA statement basically says that the local firm(s) couldn't supply the necessary numbers.

And even if the contracted local firm said they wouldn't do it, suspect that the other firm quoted in the article don't have a contract, but got a bit of rank work because of the problems, and thought they should cop the lot.

I mean, two drivers are "going to leave" because they didn't get the jobs they wanted

If that happened all the time there wouldn't be any drivers left in the trade

The guy who claimed two of his drivers are going to leave is either talking pish, or his drivers don't have a clue

wouldnt,not referring to this incident specifically,but previously ,when they had the railway contract they wouldnt cover the work

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i started out with nothing and ive still got most of it left

Surely it's two-way traffic? Presuming the railway shut down in the morning, cabs and buses would be used from both ends of the closure. When those taxis get to the other end, it makes sense to use them to take people back again. so that would mean Glasgow taxis taking people back to Glasgow from Carlises.

Meanwhile, the Carlilse cabs that have gone to Glasgow are picking up fares in Glasgow to go back to Carlisle. What's the problem?

Emergency rail replacement can be a good earner whether you run buses or taxis.

I know how the system works, I've been doing it for over 30 years.